Last week, when I did my public service in passing on to you the smokin' deal they are offering at new wood fired N Williams pizza joint Life of Pie (a $5, 11" margherita plus $3 beers and wines daily 11 am-6 pm until they decide to stop, AKA go now before it's too late), it caught the attention of the powers that be, and guess who ended up at the Monday night press preview?

So now I write again, having sampled more than half of the pies on the menu, along with the contrastingly bright and refreshing kale and arugula salad (punched up with honey, lemon, and parmesan), and one arancini—the risotto croquette appetizer that, I'm told, gets most of its creaminess from starches rather than butter and cheese, though you wouldn't know it by how decadent it tastes atop its shallow pool of simple and flawless marinara sauce.

As for the main event: pizza. I put the following in my mouth (despite being 90% vegetarian 90% of the time): the margherita in question (so good I couldn't pace myself; I ate two slices even though I knew there were more varieties on the way. Super thin crust, only lightly charred, and another point of proof that house-made mozzarella makes all the difference); seasonal mushrooms with shaved pecorino romano and truffle oil (a white pie with satisfying mushroom dankness, though I preferred the mellow bites that evaded truffle drizzling, simply because it is so strong that it crowds everything else); bacon, goat cheese, and roasted leeks (not bad at all, though much subtler than those ingredients prepped me for, and not as interesting as some of the other combos); fennel sausage and Mama Lil's peppers (our favorite, with zesty chunks of fresh sausage sharing the stage with local pickled peppers that walk a perfect line between spicy and sweet); and salami, those great peppers again, goat cheese, and honey (chef Jason Kallingal made us one special since I was so curious, and the balance works amazingly well. It might be a bit intense for an entire serving, but if you are taking the wise route of sharing several pies among friends, don't miss this adventurous signature).

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Hit the break for a couple more shots of the space, including the legendary, huge oven that Kallingal says still retains 450 degrees when he gets to work in the morning.

These are for putting baguettes in an oven when you really only want to make one trip.
  • These are for putting baguettes in an oven when you really only want to make one trip.

Its a purty oven, too.
  • It's a purty oven, too.